Daily Archives: July 2, 2016

Here are two lovely performances that rest so gently on floating melodies, created by the young tenor saxophonist Liam Byrneand the Maestro, Rossano Sportiello. For once, I am going to reprint an artist’s biography directly from his website, because it expresses neatly what you need to know:

Saxophonist LIAM BYRNE from North Wales studied at Leeds College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music winning several awards, including the Dave Cooper Memorial Prize for Jazz Saxophone and the ‘Spud Murphy’ Saxophone Prize. He has performed alongside leading British jazz musicians including Alan Barnes, Digby Fairweather, Bruce Adams and Dave O’Higgins. He also co-leads a band with trumpeter Jamie Brownfield which regularly performs across the country at jazz clubs and festivals. Liam has a growing reputation as a torchbearer of the jazz tenor saxophone tradition, with a warm sound and understated aproach inspired by the likes of Lester Young and Ben Webster.

The biography leaves out that Liam lives in Llandegla, an alliterative cluster which seems a fine title of an original. But I digress.

These two beautifully evocative performances were recorded May 8, 2016 at a private jazz party in Cheadle Cheshire, UK, at the house of Malcolm Frazer, who has superb taste.

Here’s ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE:

and a deep subtle evocation of 1956 Lester Young on I GUESS I’LL HAVE TO CHANGE MY PLAN: